Government & Politics

Relations between communities in the Central Valley and police departments seem to be at a boiling point. Protests and counter protests have taken place several times this summer. The Fresno Police Department has an independent auditor who is supposed to keep an objective set of eyes on the department and help build community trust. Still, some are questioning if that position is getting the job done.

For about the last six years, Fresno’s Independent Police Auditor has been reviewing police-involved shootings and other excessive use of force complaints.

In late June the Erskine Fire devastated communities around Lake Isabella in Kern County. Nearly 300 homes were destroyed in the fast moving blaze in communities like South Lake. Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom reached out to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for help. In late July, FEMA rejected the state's request for a major disaster declaration, and the federal help that accompanies it. That left many locals shocked and dismayed.

California delegates expressed their dissatisfaction with the party's nomination process Monday night by booing loudly on the convention floor throughout Monday night's speeches.

Ben Bradford / Capital Public Radio

The Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia is over after four days of soaring speeches, political hob-knobbing and some intra-party bickering. We spoke with delegates from the Clinton and Sanders camps about what they'd like to see happen now.

Bakersfield’s Dolores Huerta delivered a speech this afternoon before delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Huerta urged Latinos to vote for Hillary Clinton and other Democrats.

Huerta: “And with Donald Trump on the ballot, we cannot be quiet. He insults Latinos like we were second-class citizens, like we were newcomers to this county. Hey, I have news for Donald Trump because we have been here all along.”

A new report from the Fresno Police Department appears to show a pattern of African-American residents being over-represented in interactions with police. African-Americans were disproportionately more likely to be interviewed than Hispanic or white residents in all areas of the city.

While they only make up about 6% of the city’s population, black residents made up between 20-to-25% of all field interviews according to police logs from the Office of Independent Review.